When things get tough, never forget that with enough coffee, you can do anything!

I have this obsession with how much sleep I get. It's left over from my drinking days. Sleep is VERY, VERY important. If I don't get about eight to nine hours in a night, the next day is a waste, or so I think. But one thing I've learned in sobriety is that I don't always know best. I used to know almost everything, but now, as Plato so eloquently put it, "All I know is that I do not know."

So, last night, I got home from Joe's on Juniper, the predominantly gay restaurant I work at in midtown Atlanta at about 2:45 am. I've been told by my managers that I need to finish my closing side-work quicker because I need to clock out sooner than I have been. The $2.13 per hour I make on the clock needs to be streamlined, and I have been getting better about it by starting my side-work while I still have tables. I've been at Joe's for about a month now, and I'm getting the hang of it, but as with everything in my life, there's room for improvement.

I went to bed knowing that I needed to make a very important phone call to my broker first thing in the morning about a deal I've been working on. First thing in the morning for me could mean two in the afternoon, but for the rest of the world I decided, it means 9:00 am. So I set my alarm knowing I wouldn't get my full-night's sleep tonight. I feel asleep with Simba, my tan & white cat, purring as he snoozed on my chest. Getting up early was going to be okay because I would make a full pot of coffee before anything else.

Back in September, my client, Will, bought some land, with me as his agent in Grant Park for a dream home he designed. Since then, he and his boyfriend, Jamie, caught the real estate bug, and they wanted to buy more. We put an offer on a foreclosure a couple of weeks ago and received a very slow response from the seller, but nonetheless, we all agreed on a price. Unfortunately, on Monday, the listing agent informed me that they were going with another offer. Will and I didn't think this was right, so I spoke to my new broker, Roel, yesterday about it, and he wanted to research my emails to decide whether my client had "equitable interest" in the property or not. Roel called me in the evening to tell me that we had a good case for the property, but I was already waiting tables at Joe's, so I sent him a text saying I would call him first thing in the morning.

I'm not necessarily ineffective in the morning, I just have a really tough time getting out of bed. I think it's a self-pity thing. I want to stay in bed because I deserve to. But I don't deserve to unless, of course, I'm working until the middle of the night, and I have nothing to do the next day. Today, however, I had to get up and attend to this issue. One thing I want in sobriety is to be of service to others, and it's hard to do that while lying in bed. So, I got up and called Roel. As I was speaking to him, I noticed that the power was out in my apartment, which meant, no coffee. No matter; I would get ready and head to Ansley. I was actually excited because this meant that I had an excuse to stop into Starbucks and get some coffee and parfait. But most importantly, it meant I could scope out any cuties who might be in Starbucks. Looking for eye candy is often my ulterior motive.

I showered in the dark, said "Goodbye" to Pumba and Simba, my feline children, and headed to Ansley for coffee and to hang out at the office. The Ansley Mall area of Atlanta happens to be one of the gayest places on Earth. It's a strip mall complete with grocery stores, CVS, a super-gay gym, a liquor store, gay bars, restaurants, and even cruisy apartments across the street. So, if you lived there, and you were gay, you would never have to leave. So, when Roel asked me to join Abode Realty at their new office at Ansley, I simply couldn't refuse. He was looking for someone who could "service" Atlanta's gay community with experience and charm. He couldn't have asked a more appropriate person.

The clientele in Starbucks at the un-Godly hour of 10:00 am left much to be desired. On top of that they had no parfait, so I got my venti hot coffee and went to the office. Being the discreet and smooth operator I am, I set off the loud and embarrassing alarm system as I entered. Angela, our receptionist, wasn't there because she is visiting family in Detroit. I'm actually very clumsy, and I let people know about this character defect early on. In the old days, I would have wanted a drink to steady my nerves after the alarm went off, but today, I don't get upset. I can't live life on my terms anymore; I live life on LIFE'S terms now. Or at least I try. Progress, not perfection. I know I sound like AA's poster boy, but it did save my life.

So, I'm a little tired, and I've finished my first cup of coffee, but it's going to be in the seventies today. So, I think I'll go back into Starbucks, for various reasons, and caffeinate myself into enjoying this beautiful day!